Geneva, 10 June, 2014 – ICC BASIS (Business Action to Support the Information Society) has urged for renewed efforts to both reflect on progress, and prompt action, in advancing an Information Society based on an inclusive Internet.

Speaking today at the WSIS+10 review event, ICC-Secretary-General, Jean-Guy Carrier, stressed the importance of evaluating achievements made since global representatives assembled in Geneva 11 years ago, and again in 2005, as part of the two founding phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

“The WSIS review process provides a unique opportunity to share and evaluate local and national initiatives that advance the Information Society, putting in place actions to improve and replicate those initiatives,” he explained. “It offers a valuable forum for reviewing progress made across the past decade in implementing outcomes from those initial meetings in Geneva and Tunis.”

At his address during today’s opening ceremony, Mr Carrier noted that WSIS has become a motivator for improving connectivity and fostering global access to, and the take-up of, information and communication technologies (ICTs), but called for more multistakeholder action to achieve WSIS goals.

“The business community welcomes the continuation of WSIS, but urges the development of a new vision beyond 2015 based on collaborative, equal participation by policymakers, business, and all relevant stakeholders to identify and work towards new targets that address the changing global landscape.”

He added that key to overcoming the primary challenges in building an Information Society is an inclusive approach to all discussions pertaining to Internet and information policy, with the business community recognizing the essential participation of developing countries:

“The participation and representation of all countries is crucial for the contribution of diverse perspectives in Internet Governance debates. ICT innovations create unparalleled economic and societal opportunities for developed and developing nations alike. Greater attention, therefore, must be paid to facilitating participation and capacity-building for developing countries.”

In addition to its ongoing engagement with post-WSIS processes, ICC BASIS will make an active contribution to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2014, another WSIS output and a facilitator of multistakeholder dialogue pertaining to Internet Governance policy issues.